Glossary of Greek Terms
 
Members of Fraternities and Sororities have a language all their own.
This is a small glossary of some of those terms.
Active: A person who has been initiated into a lifelong membership in a Greek organization.
Alumna: The graduated members of a Sorority. Plural: Alumnae.
Alumnus: The graduated members of a Fraternity. Plural: Alumni.
Brother: An initiated member of a fraternity. It is used as a term of address when an initiated member refers to another member.
Dry Rush: The practice of not serving alcoholic beverages at rush functions.
Fraternity: An individual men's Greek organization, especially a general college fraternity (as distinguished from an honor, professional, or recreational fraternity or society) and the term applied to any Greek organization. Some sororities are identified as a fraternity in their official name; others describe themselves as being a "woman's fraternity."
Greeks: Members of a fraternity or sorority. The term Greek is used because a majority of fraternities and sororities use Greek letters to distinguish themselves.
Greek Organization: A fraternity or sorority (social, honor, or professional). 
Hazing: 1: a. To harass by exacting unnecessary or disagreeable work.

    b. To harass by banter, ridicule, or criticism

2: To haze by way of initiation.

Source: Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary

Hazing: Defined as any conduct which subjects another person, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or psychologically, to anything that may endanger, abuse, degrade, or intimidate the person as a condition of association with a group or organization, regardless of the person's consent or lack of consent. 

Source: (Indiana University, Code of Student Ethics)

House: 1: The residence of a Greek organization.

2: An informal reference to an individual's Greek organization

Initiation: A ceremony in which an individual becomes a member of a Greek organization.
Member: See Active.
Pledging: The term used by Greek organizations for individuals who are becoming members. Also see Associate Membership.
Rush: A program (and period of time) of membership recruitment by Greek organizations. 
Rushee: A non-member who is eligible to participate in the rush program, visiting Greek organizations with an interest in possibly affiliating with one organization.
Sister: An initiated member of a sorority. It is used as a form of address when one initiated member is refers to another member.
Sorority: An individual woman's Greek organization. This is the term commonly used to distinguish between men's (fraternity) and woman's (sororities) organizations. As noted previously, some sororities are identified as a fraternity in their official name.